The Effects of Magnetic Treatment on the Tribological Behavior of AISI 1045 Steel under Lubricated Conditions

The mechanical and tribological properties of pulse-magnetized and untreated AISI 1045 steel were studied comparatively. The microhardness and microstructures of treated and untreated steel samples were analyzed to evaluate magnetic treatment effects on the mechanical properties. Dislocation densities were calculated from X-ray diffraction data according to the Williamson-Hall method. Tribological tests were conducted using a ball-on-disk reciprocating friction and wear tester. Scanning electron and energy-dispersive microscopies were used to analyze the morphologies and elements of worn surfaces. Dislocation densities of AISI 1045 steel were found to increase by 16.5% after magnetic treatment. Treated steel performed better under polyalphaolefin (PAO) base oil lubrication with each of five additives, especially when oleic acid was 0.2 and 1.5% (by mass), and the wear scar width and friction coefficient of treated samples were 46.9 and 16.4% lower than those of the untreated samples, respectively. Morphological analyses indicated that micromagnetic fields generated during friction tests not only promoted oxidation of the worn surface and debris but also produced thinner tribofilms that included chemical and adsorbed films.